Congo

Things are getting really bad in Congo. The rebel troops are closing in on Goma - and they have never threatened to enter the city yet. Apparently, at the moment they are within ten miles of Goma. Fortunately, Cristina left the city to stay in Kigali, Rwanda for a few days. Thank God. So she is safe.

Things have gotten so bad that civilians outlashed against the U.N. for not protecting them enough. Though I'm afraid there's no much that could be done. The U.N. attempted to evacuate the fifty or so aid workers currently in Rutshuru, a village like, maybe 50 miles outside Goma, but an envoy of soldiers just would not let them pass. So the aid workers and all the villagers are stuck there in the middle of this conflict that is fought in a major part with horrible sexual violence. I was shocked to see that this situation is bad enough that it is actually on the front page of the NY Times right now. Usually Americans don't care about international news enough for anything like that to make the front page.

Anyway, I'm sorry to be a downer, but just pray for the conflict there to end. It's just a huge mess, the soil of the Congo is seeped in blood and I'm not even being dramatic. Whew. I need to watch 27 Dresses or something to stop thinking about it. Or not. If anyone feels moved to do something about the situation in Congo write your representatives. The Congo NEEDS more international attention and support. That's the only way the country could possibly be healed - like Rwanda.

So messed up.